My lady gives me good... advice.

Hi!  I'm Jake!

I'm having one of those days where I make a 15-item to do list but only accomplish 2 things.  It's frustrating.  One of my big things was to write some jokes so I could go to at least one open mic tonight.  I really wanted to go to two open mics, one that started at 8:00 and one that started at 9:00.

Well, I finally started writing at 7:00.  Not good.  I wasn't even really creating much either.  I was just taking notes from my notepad and organizing them by subject.

At 9:00, I reached a stopping point.  Another way of saying that is my fianceè called at 8:45, and at 9:00, I realized I was done writing.  I told her how I was going to go to an open mic, but I should have been there at 8:30 and I probably wouldn't get there till 9:30.  She told me I should go anyway. I said "I don't know.  I'm going to be late. I don't want to be that guy." Regardless, she talked me into going. I'm glad she did. Most of the time, I am very thankful for my fiancee's advice.

Here are 3 Things I Am Thankful For because My Lady Gives Me Good... Advice:

1. It shows how she is invested in me.
When my lady takes the time to give me advice, it shows that she is thinking of me. When she takes the time to give me good advice, it shows she actually has quality insight about me. She knows me well enough to know the probable result if I don't take her advice.

In concrete terms, tonight, she told me how she knew that if I didn't go to the open mic, that tomorrow, I'd complain to her "I should have gone to the open mic."  She knew this because she's seen me do it before!

So, she was thinking of my happiness.  I got on stage, worked on some jokes, and I got an artistic release.  Also, she benefits because she doesn't have to hear me gripe about not going.  So, really, she was speaking out of mutual interest. Two for the price of one!

In the long run, repeated stage time improves my act- which improves my career, which will improve our lives together.  We are thankful that she recognizes that.


2. We have an open dialogue. 
My lady and I have an open door policy. We can talk about anything- including advice for one another.
I have seen relationships where this is not the case.  Instead of being each other's best counsel, I've sene spouses tell their friends what they wish their husband or wife would have done.  That always starts out as venting.  Soon it becomes backstabbing.  Eventually, both parties are unhappy and because they didn't talk to each other, neither of them is working towards a solution.

Now, put this back in the context of the open mic: chances are, our relationship wouldn't be in jeopardy if I didn't go to the open mic.  However, if she felt she had to keep her opinion to herself on something small like whether I should go to a mic, imagine how she'd feel about advising me about something bigger, like whether I should get a pony!  If she can't talk to me about an open mic, then we're going to have real big problems if and when I bring home a state fair pony!

This is about communication.  This is about faith in one another.  This is about respect.  If you don't have these things, you can't have a pony.  If you do, well, we can talk about it, Jake.  I don't know if it's in our budget right now.  How about we just go to the state fair sometime then get a pony when your comedy career takes off?  Okay, Callie.

We can talk about things like that.  I am truly thankful for that.

3. Since I took her advice, I can give her some too.
What's good for the gander, is good for the goose!  Since she gives me advice, it would be in bad form for her not to listen to mine.

By the way, she has taken my advice before. We are both really good about listening to each other's advice.  Now, that's not to say we always have to take it.  I'm not her boss.  She is not my boss.  I hope she doesn't read that last part.

That's the thing, though: we give each other advice, not orders. Occasionally, we strongly advise things like : "I really think you should do your 2010 taxes.  I think we'll both feel better."  or "Jake, I strongly advise you to avoid bringing up politics the next time you talk with my parents."  Good call!

So, in our relationship, advice goes both ways.  That gives us balance and again, respect.  I am thankful for that.


Well, I am really glad to be with my lady. I am thankful I went to the mic.  I got some new jokes about wordplay, extrapolation, and pus.  Thanks, baby!

Feel free to leave comments at the bottom of this blog.  Either way, though, I am thankful you read  this entry.  See you next time!
Bye!  I'm Jake!